Isaiah-2

Isaiah 2:1-5

Isaiah 2:1-5 (ASV)
¹  The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
²  And it shall come to pass in the latter days, that the mountain of Jehovah’s house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.
³  And many peoples shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of Jehovah, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of Jehovah from Jerusalem.
⁴  And he will judge between the nations, and will decide concerning many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
⁵  O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of Jehovah.

V.1 – introduction

V.2-4 – Eschatological salvation oracle

1. 5 – concluding call for action…

The new Zion will have great prominence as the ‘highest, chief” mountain to symbolize the new importance given to the dwelling place of God.  (Ezek 40:2)

The future situation will change as God comes to dwell on his throne, removes every false source of trust and pride, and God alone is exalted.

God’s plan for mankind has always included the reaching of the whole world, not just the small nation of Judah.

V.3 – “He will teach us of his ways and we walk in his paths,”   God’s instruction will involve a practical explanation of how people can live in a way that is pleasing to God.

1. 5 – Isaiah ends this brief look at the ideal future Zion with a call for a transforming to God’s will in the future. We are to learn his ways, and enjoy his kingdom. People have a choice:  they can proudly focus on their own accomplishments and close their ears and eyes to what God says and suffer a humiliation as those in this day of Isaiah.  We have a choice.

Isaiah 2:6-11

Isaiah 2:6-11 (ASV)
⁶  For thou hast forsaken thy people the house of Jacob, because they are filled with customs from the east, and are soothsayers like the Philistines, and they strike hands with the children of foreigners.
⁷  And their land is full of silver and gold, neither is there any end of their treasures; their land also is full of horses, neither is there any end of their chariots.
⁸  Their land also is full of idols; they worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made.
⁹  And the mean man is bowed down, and the great man is brought low: therefore forgive them not.
¹⁰  Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, from before the terror of Jehovah, and from the glory of his majesty.
¹¹  The lofty looks of man shall be brought low, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and Jehovah alone shall be exalted in that day.
Removal of Pride and Exaltation of God…

The text implies that if the Hebrew people in Isaiah’s audience remain unwilling to humble themselves and exalt God alone, they will not participate in the events in 2:1-5.

1. 6 – Assimilation of pagan religious practices. The charge indicates that Judah openly accepted forbidden religious ideas. (Deut 19:9-14) from the area to their east…

Base line:  Foreign thinking and behavior was influencing the worldview of Hebrew people.  

Hebrew law forbade the use of divination and magic and warned against developing close relationships with pagans.

V.7 – their dependence on wealth and military might.  Uzziah had a large army and the temptation is to that the army will protect them, not a need for God.  When rich a nation isn’t dependent upon God for food or daily needs.
Kings were warned not to multiply horses and accumulate great wealth.  Isaiah warned King Hezekiah not to trust in the horses and chariots of Egypt, but to trust God.

Ps. 33:17  Psalm 33:17 (ASV)
¹⁷  A horse is a vain thing for safety; Neither doth he deliver any by his great power.

V.8 – the stupidity of worshiping pieces of wood.  They have a living God and choose to worship a piece of wood and stone.

V.9 the consequence of the nation’s actions.   He refers to past punishment for improper pride and dependence on wealth, armies, and idols…

The essential concept is presented that people should humble themselves before God and avoid pride.  Psalm 18:28 (ASV)
²⁸  For thou wilt light my lamp: Jehovah my God will lighten my darkness.

– Proverbs 15:33 (ASV)
³³  The fear of Jehovah is the instruction of wisdom; And before honor goeth humility.

V.10 & 11 – After the list of accusations Isaiah tells his audience that it brings destruction from God.  The people have continually excreted their wills and failed to bow before the great God of the universe.  They have two choices:  1) to continue to arrogantly trust in themselves or 2) to humble themselves and trustingly follow the Almighty God who is sovereign. 

What will happen?
1. The splendor of God’s majesty revealed

2. The dread of God’s presence will cause people to hide.

How do people respond to the presence of God?  When people are aware of God’s holiness and power they immediately sense their sinfulness and unworthiness in his presence.  Their response might be?

1. Unrepentant people may attempt to hide from God…
2. Humble people will confess their sins, repent, and commit themselves to serving God.

All will face Him!

Reality:  They are confronted with the real God.  The one they tried to reconstruct in line with their desires and imagination.  To define their way who God is.  Called:  “self-concepts”

Isaiah 2:12-17 – God’s vicious attack on everything that might be an exalted object or something a person might trust.

¹²  For there shall be a day of Jehovah of hosts upon all that is proud and haughty, and upon all that is lifted up; and it shall be brought low;
¹³  and upon all the cedars of Lebanon, that are high and lifted up, and upon all the oaks of Bashan,
¹⁴  and upon all the high mountains, and upon all the hills that are lifted up,
¹⁵  and upon every lofty tower, and upon every fortified wall,
¹⁶  and upon all the ships of Tarshish, and upon all pleasant imagery.
¹⁷  And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be brought low; and Jehovah alone shall be exalted in that day.
Removal of Pride and Exaltation of God…

The text implies that if the Hebrew people in Isaiah’s audience remain unwilling to humble themselves and exalt God alone, they will not participate in the events in 2:1-5.

Quote Ray Ortlund:  (Ortlund, R. C., Jr., & Hughes, R. K. (2005). Isaiah: God saves sinners.)

We need hope. But we also need humility. Isaiah is no dreamy idealist. He sees human pride as the great We need hope. But we also need humility. Isaiah is no dreamy idealist. He sees human pride as the great impediment to the world as it should be.

He discerns pride among God’s people, pride in the world, and pride in the worship of idols. First, pride among God’s people (2:6–9). The key words here are “full” in verse 6 and “filled” repeated three times in verses 7, 8. The church can be full of worldly wisdom, filled with money, filled with power, and filled with idols—filled with everything but the Holy Spirit. When believers stuff their lives full of false ideals and comforts, it’s because they feel empty within. They have lost their sense of God. …

It’s not that God doesn’t love them anymore. But if any generation of his people along the way becomes full of pride, he would do them no favor by visiting them with blessing. It would only reinforce their self-salvation. Their first need is to be emptied of their fullness. Isaiah understands that “… proud, self-sufficient Israel can become the witness to the greatness of God only when she has been reduced to helplessness by his just judgment and then restored to life by his unmerited grace.”

No individual, not even the whole world together, can rob God of his glory. The Bible says, “The Lord is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens!” (Psalm 113:4). The problem is that we think that his glory and our joy do not lie together in the depths of his heart. We think we have to compete with his will to fulfill our own potential. That is pride. We think too well of ourselves and too poorly of God to believe that his love for his glory and his love for us are one love, drawing him on to the final day when we will be forever happy with his glory alone. But how could it be otherwise? Human fulfillment is union with God…  When in fact his glory is another word for Heaven.

Isaiah 2:18-22

¹⁸  And the idols shall utterly pass away.
¹⁹  And men shall go into the caves of the rocks, and into the holes of the earth, from before the terror of Jehovah, and from the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake mightily the earth.
²⁰  In that day men shall cast away their idols of silver, and their idols of gold, which have been made for them to worship, to the moles and to the bats;
²¹  to go into the caverns of the rocks, and into the clefts of the ragged rocks, from before the terror of Jehovah, and from the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake mightily the earth.
²²  Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils; for wherein is he to be accounted of?

 V.18-22  –  They might have literally taken pride in their fortified cities, tall towers, large ships, and their beautiful trees.  God is against any object that enabled people to believe they can control their own destiny.  This is a ‘holy war’ on everything interfering in God’s plan for His people.

God is against any object or objects that enable people to believe they can control their own destiny.  God issues holy war against anything that might possible replace Him.  V. 18-22

They had continued to depend on their idols that filled the land. 

God knows that the rebellious people who worship idols will eventually realize the truth when they see the majesty and terror of God.

Idolatry gives people a feeling of control and power.  They make the tings they worship.  When God reveals his majesty and power they will tremble and realize how worthless their idols really were.

V.22 – the final word of application is added…   to addressed the sinful hearts of people:

²²  Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils; for wherein is he to be accounted of?

Choices:

1 – life with God in his glorious kingdom

2 – frightful humiliation and destruction

It is an “either or” situation, no middle ground.